Big Brother or Big Nanny?

If a driver operating Caterpillar equipment in a remote mine, or driving a truck down a highway for a long time, starts to feel sleepy, his head may briefly slump, or his eyes divert away from their main focus.

However brief that moment, back at Caterpillar’s headquarters in Peoria, Illinois, a sensor can detect the movement, register it and respond by sending a prod, such as a vibration, into the cab to rouse the driver, improving efficiency and safety. This is thanks to a collaboration with Seeing Machines that began in 2013.